ThemanstaredwildatRalphwhilehewasspeaking，andseemedtostaggerinhissaddle；thenhelethissalletfalloverhisface，and，turninghishorseabout，rodeswiftly，heandhistwofellows，downthehillandawaytothebattleoftheBurgers。
Nonefollowedorcriedafterhim；fornowhadagreatlongingandexpectationfallenuponRalph’sfolk，andtheyabodewhatshallbefallwithlittlenoise。Theynotedsosoonasthemessengerwasgottentothemainofthefoementhattherewasastiramongstthem，andtheywereorderingtheirrankstomoveagainstthehill。
AndwithaltheysawmenallarmedcomingfromouttheHighHouse，whowentdowntotheBridgeandabodethere。Upmeads-waterranthroughthemeadowsbetwixtthehillandtheHighHouse，ashathbeensaidafore；
butasitwindedalong，onereachofitwentnightotheHouse，andmadewellnighaquarterofacircleaboutitbeforeitturnedtorundownthemeadowstotheeastward；andatthisnighestpointwasthereawidebridgewellbuildedofstone。
TheBurg-devilsheedednotthemenattheBridge，but，beingallarrayed，madebutshorttarryingandthatbelikeonlytohearthetaleoftheirmessengereretheycameintwobattlesstraightacrossthemeadow。